The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-06-02

~ SloShS AAO SNCiJ
one else was asleep, the lady of the
house, from her room upstairs, heard
the parlor door creak. Summoning all
her courage. she rushed out into the
hall, and looking over the baluster, she
saw the figure of what appeared to be
a child three or four years
of age swoop down, head first, from
some unknown hiding-place, and with
both hands violently slam the door
shut. The infant was clad in a single,
flowing garment of spotless white, and
its form and features we're plainly visi-
BILE. The lady did what almost any
other lady would have done in like
acknowledgements and tainted
away, her last recollection of the af-
fair being that of seeing the infantile
apparation vanish into ethereal moth
ingness. Her husband arrived upon the
scene just in time to hear her scream,
and oon had her restored to conscious
ness. But her terror was such that she
refushed to stay in the house another
night. And she didn't. Another place
had been secured, and the family NOV
ed the next day. But the story was told
in the neighborhood, and for a long
time the dwelling was empty. No one
would live in a house where there was
positively n ghost and possibly two
one on each side of a door.
One of the most remarkable of these
old-time ghosts was that of the phos-
p%horescent mule that roamed over the
city 0north of Thirty-first street and
south of Twenty-second, a territory at
that date almost barren of dwellings,.
This animal had browsed the prairie
grass, observed by few. for some time,
and those few described him as being
Enthusiastically a mule, but having a de-
gree of luminosity that enabled him to
be seen to a great distance. No one
had the temerity to attempt to APP
proach him, for it was easy to see that
it was no earthly mule, but undeniably
and unquestionably an internal mule.
But there was n gentleman in the
vicinity who ridiculed and .scoffed at
this mongrel specter, and declared that
it was only the creature of Imagination
distorted by over-indulgence in the ex-
hilarating fluid of the period, denomi-
mated ginandsugar. 1t was to this
gentleman that befell the somewhat
singular incident herewith related
doubtless intended as a salutary illus
tration of the punishment that awaits
all scoffers. He had been out in the
southern suburbs one afternoon look
ing over some lands, and at a wayside
inn had met some gentlemen residing
thereabouts, talked over the land, and
remained to supper. 1t was toward
eleven o'clock before the prospective
value of the land had been decided
upon, and the parties started home
ward. From 31st to 22d street was
then only a barren stretch of low,
waste land. AS the gentleman was
crossing this, under the pale moon
light, deeply thinking of future for
tunes in that same tract of land, he be-
came sensible of a sort of 'uncanny'
feeling, and, on looking up, to his in
tense establishment, not to say terror,
he saw the luminous mule approaching
him at a rapid gait. Petrified by his
mingled emotions he stood speeches..
The spectral animal came, stood before
him, and in a firm and decisive tone
said Mount" Well knowing that he
who hesitates is lost, he tremblingly
obeyed.
A furious ride began, kept up till
nearly across the stretch, when he be-
gan to be sensible of some extraordi-
nary change. His feet touched the
ground and he drew them up. The
canter had been transformed into a sort
of lope, which gradually settled into a
broken trot; the hair had become wool.
1t was no longer a mule-it was a
sheep! B~ewildered beyond conception,
he seized the animal by the ears and
held on. A few PAGES farther and there
came long, curling hair, and instead of
hoof-beats he heard the patter of cush-
Toned feet. 1t was not a sheep-it was
a Newfoundland dog! In sheer despair
he flung himself to the ground, the an
imal gave a quick, angry bark and van
ished. The gentleman arose, looked
around, and found himself at his own
door.
For days he was gloomy and silent;
but finally he told the story, and, al he
vas a church deacon and a man of
great veracity, it ear not be doubted.
But the luminous mule was seen no
more. There are persons yet living in
Chicago who have seen, or at least
have seen others who have seen, him.
The West Randolph street ghost
came on at a later day, and its history
is familiar to many. The house it
haunted still stands, a gloomy old pile
of dirty brick. 1t is one of the oldest
buildings in the city, and its upper
floor is said to have been the scene of
many dark crimes. At the time of his
ghostship it was occupied by a small
family, the husbands duties keeping
him away nights. They had been there
but a short time when, late one night,
the lady heard footsteps, soft and light,
ascending the two flights of stairs.
Somewhat nervous, she awaited breath
lessly, heard them reach the top land
ing, and. after a short pause, turn and
go down. Night after night this was
repeated, until, unable to bear it long
er, as the steps neared the top she eau
tiously opened the door and put out
her head. As she did so she saw a
hand, though nobody was visible, press
against the other side and push with
such force that she was obliged to step
back into the room.
Unlike the other woman, she neither
screamed nor tainted. She waited till
the steps had descended the stairs, then
placing a light in the hall and locking
the door on the outside she rushed to
the station, a short distance away, and
told the police. Two officers returned
with her. She unlocked the door and
went in. But she was Mortified to find
that her baby, which she had left in bed